Wicked: Warriors Style
by Fading Emerald
Summary: <html><head></head>What if the musical Wicked took place in the world of Warriors? This is the story of Flowerheart and Ivywing...   Rated T For Possible Later Chapters</html>
1. Prologue

Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**I do not own Warriors or Wicked.**

* * *

><p>"Is it true?"<p>

"Is she finally dead?"

Night covered the forest as the emeralds around the camp glowed with a shine of silver in the moonlight. All around the clearing, everything from the plants to the forest floor seemed to be a shade of deep green.

Anxious whispers echoed through the Clan of cats gathered at the center of their camp. They looked around for any sign of their leader, believing he of all cats would tell them what had really happened that night. Suddenly, one of the apprentices looked up towards the Highledge.

"Look! It's Flowerheart!" Mudpaw mewed eagerly.

All the cats fixed their gazes on the she-cat who was padding her way up the rock. Her pelt was pure white with the exception of two golden ears, a golden tail and a few splotches of gold on her back. Her ears twitched with recognition when she gazed at her Clan, but her eyes , which were a mix of sky blue and green, seemed to be far off in thought.

"Is it true?" A gray queen asked. "Is she…dead?"

The air was filled with silence. No one dared make a sound as they waited for the answer. Flowerheart lifted her face and took a deep breath as the Clan held theirs and said,

"Yes. I am pleased to announce that Ivystar is dead. She was killed at the Moonpool last night, by the kittypet you may know as Dorothy. Let us thank StarClan that she has delivered us from this wicked cat who would have stopped at nothing to destroy us all."

The Clan cats presently began yowling joyously at this good news, mewing and noisily chattering amongst themselves.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day she died!" mewed a ginger tom.

"I was beginning to think she would never die!" replied a tabby apprentice.

"And know, we can rest in peace, knowing our kits are safe." Added a white queen as she bent to lick her kit affectionately while the queens around her nodded in agreement.

"And to think, all because of that kittypet Dorothy. Speaking of which, where is she? And where is Graystar for that matter?"

Flowerheart hesitated for a brief second before answering,

"Both Dorothy and Graystar have decided to leave the Clan on their own free will. They left at sunrise and we can only ask StarClan to watch over them now. As deputy of EmeraldClan, I will take Graystar's place as leader and travel to the Moonpool tomorrow to receive my nine lives. I hope you will accept me as your new leader and I will do all I can to be a wise and fair leader to you all."

At the news that their leader had simply chosen to abandon them, the cats exchanged looks of confusion and bewilderment. But soon they realized that Flowerheart would make a fine leader, some even thought she might make an even better one. The Clan mewed its unanimous approval at their new leader. Pleased, Flowerheart beamed with happiness as they continued to talk amongst themselves.

"I always knew her evil ways would be the end of her." rasped a ginger elder.

Another tom shook his head in agreement. "Evil since the day she was born."

"But is that true?" The Clan turned to face Flowerheart, their ears perked as she continued,

"You know, she was born the same as any of us. It just goes to show that dangerousness of evil, it can happen to anyone. In fact, she was once just an innocent kit. After all, she had a mother and father, as so many do…"

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><p>"Mapletail, will you be alright while I'm gone?"<p>

"I'll be fine, Finchpelt."

Mapletail, a golden brown she-cat affectionately nuzzled her mate. He looked at her lovingly with his light blue eyes, but she averted her own amber ones as he did so. Finchpelt gave her a curt nod instead and left on the dusk patrol. As soon as he left, she sighed.

"Are we alone now?" purred a tabby gray tom who was entering the den from the back entrance. Mapletail purred happily and licked his ear.

"Now we are."

"Good, I brought you something," the tom flicked his tail for her to follow. They padded outside silently, making sure none of the other cats in camp could see them. Finally, the tom stopped at the front of a twoleg nest. His eyes darted until they rested on what he had been looking for. He nudged a white twoleg-thing that was filled with a green substance Mapletail had never seen before.

"Oscar, what is this?" she asked curiously.

"It's milk! I know its green, but trust me, it tastes just fine. Besides, wild cats like us never get the chance to drink milk often, why not take advantage of the opportunity?"

Mapletail hesitated, unsure of whether to drink it or not.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

Oscar gave an amused purr. "Of course I am. Here, I'll even drink some with you."

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do." With a purr, he nuzzled her and licked her ear lightly.

And with that, the two cat set down to lapping up the green milk until the plate had been licked clean. The tom wiped his whiskers with his tongue as he finished.

"How did you like it?" he asked.

"Actually, it was really good…."

* * *

><p>"It's coming!"<p>

"Now?" Finchpelt raced towards the nursery where Mistfeather was trying to ease Mapletail's pain by trying to feed her herbs, but every time she tried to put them near her mouth, she would just screech louder.

Mapletail's whole body shook as spasms overtook her as she tried laboriously to bring the kittens inside her into the world. She yowled in pain and raked the dirt with her claws until finally there was a small bundle at her side.

Finchpelt looked on with wonder and pride as Mistfeather released the kit from its sac.

"Is it a tom or she-cat? he asked anxiously.

"It's a beautiful little she-cat, why she—what is this! What's wrong with her?" her voice escaladed to a yowl as she flinched away from the kit.

"What? What's wrong?" Finchpelt pushed his way to pick up his daughter when he too was overcome with shock and dropped the kitten back at her mother's stomach. Although she was very frail, Mapletail looked up with wide eyes at both of the cats staring at her kit.

"Why? What is it?" she couldn't keep the sheer panic out of her voice. Finchpelt slowly looked up at his mate.

"She's green."

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><p>"So you see, it couldn't have been easy…" but by now, the other cats had lost interest in Flowerheart's story, too busy celebrating the death of the leader of ShadowClan. But just then, an apprentice turned to look towards the Highledge.<p>

"Is it true, Flowerheart, that during the time of the Four Clans, that you were her…friend?" he asked.

Silence. The whole Clan was now waiting for her answer. Wide eyed and uncertain, the whole clearing stared astonished at Flowerheart. She was beginning to feel nervous; she could feel every gaze burning into her pelt. Her throat was dry as she searched for the right words to say.

"Well, it depends what you mean by "friend". I mean, our paths did cross, a long time ago…in ThunderClan…"


	2. Denmates

**Author's Note: Okay, so I'm starting to realize how difficult it is to write a story written for humans as a story about cats. But don't worry, I'm determined to find a way to. This story is mainly musicalverse, but I may borrow some ideas from the book; I've still got the plot in my head. I know some things don't make too much sense yet, but I promise I'll clear up the plot next chapter. **

**Disclaimer (I'm so sorry I didn't put one on my prologue, I was in a rush to publish): I do not own Warriors or Wicked**

Chapter 2

_Finally, _Ivypaw thought, _I'm actually on my way to becoming a warrior._

She had been recently apprenticed earlier that day and Ivypaw was already counting down the days till she could finally become a full warrior. She wanted to fight and defend her Clan, to feel the energy and power that came with fighting for what you believed in. Her paws were light just thinking about it.

_Maybe then they won't care about my…condition as much as they do now._

Ivypaw made her way around the ThunderClan camp until she came to where she was supposed to meet the rest of the apprentices. Passing a bush, she saw them all huddled near each other, mewing or swiping paws playfully at each other. She snorted at their kit-like behavior and just chose to observe it from a distance. Bored, she tried to put some effort into distinguishing the different cats. There was Berrypaw, an undersized light brown tom sitting next to her sister Nightpaw. She felt a pang of guilt when she saw her sister around other cats. Her injured led still bore terrible scars and caused her to walk with a limp, not to mention all the pain of just using that leg. But her bad leg did nothing to take away from her beautiful dark tortoiseshell pelt and sweet amber eyes. To the right was a golden-brown tabby tom with blue eyes that she recognized as Adderpaw. Her pelt bristled at the cocky tom who was trying to boast that he had already caught his first mouse. Scanning her eyes to the left were other cats that she did not recognize. But in the middle of the group was the loudest, and most annoying she-cat in ThunderClan, Flowerpaw. _Of course she's in the middle. Everything always has to be about her._ Ivypaw couldn't decide what she'd rather do: eat mousedung or spend a day with her.

"Apprentices of ThunderClan, please come forward. Gather around." A long haired white she-cat stood in the front now, checking to see if all of the apprentices were present.

"Ivypaw, that means you too." She flicked her tail impatiently.

With a twitch of her tail, she walked towards the assembly of her peers and tried to carry herself with some dignity, no matter how many of the other apprentices were giggling.

"I wonder if her mother fed her grass as a child." whispered one of the she-cats into her friend's ear. That was it. She turned around to glare at the whole group of apprentices.

"Okay, fine. Let's just get this over with. No, I don't have a stomachache. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't eat grass as a kit, I—"

"Ivypaw!" Finchpelt padded towards her with a stern and disappointed look on his face as she felt embarrassed for having to be scolded in front of the rest of the apprentices. "What did I tell you? Please, for the love of StarClan, stop going around starting commotions!" Ivypaw flattened her ears and stared at her paws.

"I don't start commotions, I am one." She grumbled to herself. But by then her father had turned his attention back to Nightpaw.

"Oh, my precious Nightpaw," he gazed proudly at her, "I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you for finally becoming an apprentice. I want you to give you something," he went back to a nearby rock and retrieved two sparkling rubies which he carried in his jaw. _Could one of them be for me?_ Ivpaw didn't dare hope.

"Here, they are almost as beautiful as you." Nightpaw's eyes shimmered with happiness and she curled her tail around her new gems.

"Thank you father!" She purred.

"Anything for you." Finchpelt turned around to Ivypaw, all love gone from his eyes and said coldly,

"Look after your sister when you're out training. The forest is a dangerous place for her." And with that, he was gone. Nightpaw turned to her sister and gave her a sympathetic glance.

"I'm sorry Ivypaw…" she trailed off, unable to find the right words. Not wanting to upset her younger sister Ivypaw shook off the bitterness she felt towards their father.

"That's alright, you don't have to worry about me." Just then, the white she-cat yowled for the attention of the new apprentices.

"Hello there. My name is Whitefeather, as most of you know already. As you know, the apprentice den has not yet been repaired due to the…accidents that contributed to its collapse." Here she glared at Adderpaw who simply smirked back much to the amusement of those around him. Ivypaw just rolled her eyes. "Anyway, there are small dens where you will be staying in for the time being. It will be two apprentices to a den and no, toms may not share a den with a she-cat." She added as if sensing the jokes that would have been made if she had not. "Please pick your denmates."

The cats quickly dispersed to find their friends and quickly found friends who were willing to share a den with them. Ivypaw just watched, already knowing she would be with her sister.

"Oh, can I be your denmate Flowerpaw?" a brown she-cat asked.

"No, can I?" interrupted a black one,

"Hey! What about me? I'm her friend too!" complained another she-cat. Flowerpaw silenced them with a swish of her tail.

"You guys, I'll be staying in my own private den," her friends all looked devastated at the news. "But you can come visit me anytime." This perked them up again.

"Oh, Flowerpaw, you're so thoughtful!" mewed the brown she-cat again. Flowerpaw turned away, pretending to be embarrassed.

"Oh, no I'm not, stop it." Flowerpaw insisted.

Ivypaw felt like she was going to be sick. But then she saw Whitefeather walked towards her sister.

"Ah, Nightpaw, your father requested that I let you stay in your own den. You can ask me or Thornstar if you need anything." Ivypaw bristled at this. _She_ was the one who took care of her sister.

"Um, Whitefeather…" she began.

"Yes, a-" Whitefeather didn't get to finish her sentence because she was startled by Ivypaw's appearance. She felt her gaze taking in the emerald green fur with ripples of black tabby stripes and dark brown eyes. _You'd think as Deputy, she'd show a little more courtesy towards her Clanmates. I mean, shouldn't she be used to me by now?_

"Well you see, I've always been the one to take care of my sister."

"I'm sorry Ivypaw, but I have to see that your father's wishes are recognized. Come along Nightpaw, I'll show you to your new den." And with that, she started away. Ivypaw could feel her blood boil and her claws unsheathed as they dug into the earth. Her eyes narrowed and all she could focus on was getting Nightpaw back. She _had _to get her back.

"No!" she yowled and a strange unseen force jerked her sister back to her almost as if the wind itself were pushing her back. Nightpaw's frightened eyes met hers and her voice came out to a whisper,

"Ivypaw, you promised you wouldn't lose control like that…things would be different now…"

"I'm sorry Nightpaw…" Whitefeather's eyes widened.

"What? Never apologize for talent! My dear, you have a gift! Just think of the warrior you'll make if you could use those powers in battle!" Ivypaw was stunned. This cat wasn't at all fazed by the fact she could do something no other normal cat could do. "In fact," Whitefeather continued, "I'd like to give you some extra training too, I mean, aside from your mentor's training, of course. Would you be willing to try?"

Ivypaw was too shocked to say anything except "Sure."

"Very good. Now, do you have a denmate yet?"

Ivypaw shook her head.

"Alright then, very well. Follow me." She followed the ThunderClan Deputy back to where the other apprentices were still chattering.

"Who would like to share a den with Ivypaw?" Whitefeather asked.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Flowerpaw was still talking to her friends.<p>

"Briarpaw," she asked the brown she-cat, "should I go ask if Whitefeather could show me where my den is?"

Before Briarpaw could reply, the black she-cat burst out,

"Of course! Then we can all go see it together!"

"Okay then, I'll go ask."

* * *

><p>Flowerpaw padded lightly to where Whitefeather was and asked,<p>

"Excuse me? Whitefeather?" She turned around to face the apprentice.

"Thank you, Flowerpaw. You will be sharing a den with Ivypaw."

"WHAT?" Both Flowerpaw and Ivypaw screeched. There was no way Ivypaw was going to put up with her until they became warriors.

"But I was just going to ask you—" Whitefeather flicked her tail over Flowerpaw's mouth. "The two of you are denmates and that's final. Do you want me to get Thornstar involved in all of this?"

Both she-cats shook their heads.

"Alright then. Let me go make sure the others have chosen their denmates." As soon as Whitefeather had left, Ivypaw fixed a glare on her new denmate. Flowerpaw returned it immediately. _Well, things can't get much worse than this, can they?_

**A/N: Please review if you'd be interested in reading more:) Feel free to leave constructive criticism or ideas for the story. Thank you!**


	3. Loathing

Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry about the wait; AP tests take up too much of my time...anyways, here's another chapter. Takes place right after the last one and covers "The Wizard and I" and "What is this Feeling". **

**As always, I own nothing. All credit for Wicked and Warriors go to their rightful owners.**

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><p>Briarpaw, Dawnpaw, and Ebonypaw were trying to comfort Flowerpaw after she had learned that she would have to share a den with the one cat she could not stand.<p>

"Something's wrong," Flowerpaw sniffled.

The others waited intently for her response.

"I didn't get my way." She made it seem as though it was inconceivable for her to _not _get her way.

And with that, Flowerpaw followed her friends back to the main part of camp to see if anything was left on the fresh-kill pile.

* * *

><p>"My dear, do you know what you could do with a gift like yours?" Whitefeather returned her full attention to Ivypaw, eyes sparkling. "You could be on your way to meeting Graystar."<p>

Ivypaw felt her throat run dry. _Graystar? The Graystar?_ No, it was almost too good to be true. Graystar was the leader of EmeraldClan, a Clan that lived past the Moonpool in a secluded forest where he lived with his Clan known only as the Emerald Forest. EmeraldClan was rumored to be the home of the most skilled and wisest warriors in the whole forest. No one knew much about Graystar, he never appeared at Gatherings, but from what Ivypaw had heard, he was the greatest warrior to ever live. He could never be beaten in battle and he had powers unlike any cat. Whenever the Clans were in trouble, the leaders turned to him for advice and help.

"I'm sure he'd be very impressed with you. In fact, I know for a fact that the position of Deputy is still open. Perhaps, if you prove yourself, you may be the next Deputy of EmeraldClan."

And with that, Whitefeather left. Ivypaw was speechless with wonder and shock. Could she really become a Deputy? And of EmeraldClan?

She began to picture it in her mind. Leading a Clan of cats who didn't care about what she looked like. Standing side by side the most respected cat in the whole forest while other cats would look up and see how much she had changed from the ignored green apprentice to an honorable and dignified Deputy. And no longer would Finchpelt or Nightpaw feel embarrassed or ashamed of being her kin; no, they would be proud to share her blood. Graystar would be impressed and help her understand the reason for her powers. If any cat could make sense of her strange abilities, that cat would be Graystar. Maybe she had a great destiny ahead of her, a destiny that other cats could only dream of. Even these mere thoughts made Ivypaw's heart beat faster. She could hear it now,

"_Ivypaw, I am so honored to meet a cat with such amazing talents. I know I can rely on you as my loyal Deputy." _Graystar would say.

Suddenly, Ivypaw felt her whole body freeze, as if she were caught in a trance. _Wait, what's going on?_ She panicked. Then, almost as clearly as if the image had been in front of her, she could make out the blurry images of cats gathered under the Highledge, as if they were celebrating something. She thought she could make out faint yowling and although she had no way of knowing for certain, it seemed as though they were having a celebration for _her._ She felt so unlimited knowing that this vision could be of the future. The future she deserved. To be standing there with Graystar.

* * *

><p>Ivypaw made her way back towards the camp. Eyes turned and she heard sneers from the other apprentices. Ignoring them, she padded along and picked a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, taking it to her usual spot by the shade of a bush. She noticed that just across from her sat Flowerpaw and her group of friends. They were warming themselves in the sun and eating voles by the looks of it. All of them seemed to be mewing about something all at once and Ivypaw found it difficult to eat with all the noise they were making. Annoyed, she pressed her ears against the back of her head.<p>

* * *

><p>"Tell me all about it." Hazelpaw took another bite of her vole as she waited for Flowerpaw to explain how she had ended up denmates with the greenest cat in ThunderClan.<p>

Flowerpaw sighed in an overly dramatic fashion and casually licked a snow white paw.

"You see, I was going to ask Whitefeather if I could be shown where exactly my _private _den was. But she took it to mean that I had volunteered to share a den with….you know, _her._ I mean, what's the use of having a Deputy when they won't even listen to you?"

She noticed that Ivypaw was eating by herself a few tail-lengths away out of the corner of her eye. She felt her eyes narrow. _I've never done anything to deserve this!_ She thought indignantly. But then she thought to herself, _No one ever said I had to be nice to her…_

Flowerpaw raised her voice until she was certain the Ivypaw could hear.

"You know, Ivypaw has to be the worst denmate in ThunderClan."

A slow smile crept in when she saw Ivypaw bristle at the comment.

* * *

><p>Ivypaw snarled and stormed to where Flowerpaw was still giggling. The she-cats had forgotten their food as it was tossed aside so that they could witness the confrontation that was occurring.<p>

"Well, maybe I'd be a better denmate if you didn't have feathers in your brain half the time." Ivypaw spat.

Flowerpaw narrowed her eyes. "Well, you're…you're…you have green fur!" Ivypaw saw her wince, realizing herself what a terrible retort that really was.

"Thanks for letting me know." Was her dry, sarcastic response.

"Well, I hate the sight of your face!"

"And I hate your voice. It sounds like a dying mouse."

"You know what Ivypaw, I don't think I've ever felt like this about anyone before." The smaller white she-cat tried to intimidate her by pushing her way towards her, eyes narrowed into furious slits.

"I feel the same." Ivypaw stood up taller and bared her teeth at Flowerpaw, causing her to take a step or two back out of fear.

"I hate you!" Flowerpaw yowled. At this, the whole camp turned to look at the two apprentices, but Ivypaw was too angry to care at the moment.

"So do I. In fact, I _loathe _you."

By now, a crowd had formed around them. All the apprentices were eagerly watching and whispering amongst themselves. The apprentices all turned to support Flowerpaw, standing behind her and supporting her.

"She's not worth it, Flowerpaw."

"Ivypaw's just a green, fox-hearted mousebrain."

Ivypaw and Flowerpaw began to circle each other. Ivypaw didn't take her eyes off of Flowerpaw for fear that she may unsheathe her claws at any moment. Flowerpaw stubbornly held her gaze as well.

"What's all this fighting about?" at the sound of her mentor's voice, Ivypaw spun around. Standing in front of her was an ivory-colored tom with calm blue eyes. His stern frown made her feel guilty as she stepped away from Flowerpaw who also seemed to understand they had gone too far.

"I'm sorry Goatfoot…" Ivypaw mumbled. "It won't happen again." She winced. Her first day of being an apprentice and already she had made an enemy and disappointed her mentor. _How can this day get any worse? _

"I trust you will use better judgment next time. If you feel up to it, I was going to ask you if you wanted to start your training."

She perked up a bit at this news. "Now? Of course."

As Goatfoot began to leave, he turned back to call over his shoulder,

"You two won't be able to come to the Gathering tonight. In fact, none of the new apprentices will be going."

"How come?" Ivypaw asked, curious.

Goatfoot sighed. "ThunderClan is growing quickly. Thornstar doesn't want to intimidate the other Clans and he thought it might be better for the more experienced members of the Clan to go tonight. But don't worry, I'm sure he'll let you come next moon." And with that, he was gone.

Ivypaw's tail drooped. She had been looking forward to her first Gathering. Goatfoot signaled for her to follow with a flick of her tail. She shook off the disappointment and followed him into the forest.

* * *

><p>"Made it back just in time." An orange tom jumped from atop a tree branch onto the dried leaves on the forest floor, causing a loud <em>crunch<em>.

"I'd say you were pretty late Firepaw." Another tom mewed, this one a dark gray. Firepaw gave his pelt a shake and retrieved his kill from earlier. The small mouse wasn't much, but he knew it was more than the other apprentices had caught yet. They had to be taught to hunt. Firepaw just used instinct. Setting down the mouse, he turned to the gray tom.

"Ashpaw, I'm just in time. That old Whitefeather was too busy lecturing the other apprentices, she didn't even notice I was gone."

"Whatever you say." Ashpaw grumbled.

"Hey, shouldn't you be getting back to WindClan? I can find my way back to ThunderClan from here." Firepaw had already broken the Warrior Code too many times today.

"Fine. I'm leaving. See you around." And with that, he pelted back through the forest in the direction of the moor. _Typical WindClan. Always thinking they can outrun you._

Picking up the mouse in his jaws, he made his way back to camp feeling pleased with himself and his catch. _Today can't get any better._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Up next is "Something Bad" and "Dancing through Life" :3 Please review**


	4. Something Bad

**Author's Note: I'd like to apologize for not uploading sooner, but I've been pretty busy with CSTs all week. But I managed to squeeze in some time to finish another chapter.**

**Silent Fire Light: First of all, I'd like to thank you for reviewing :3 I just recieved your suggestion today, and while I liked the idea, I already had most of the scene written out...I hope you still like it though. And thank you for taking time to write a suggestion :)**

**So everyone,**

**Enjoy!~**

* * *

><p>"Ivypaw, if you want to catch a mouse, you have to keep your belly to the ground. And stop swishing your tail; you're making too much noise."<p>

Ivypaw felt her pelt bristle with indignation. Goatfoot was trying to teach her to catch prey, but all Ivypaw was catching was disappointment. They'd been out here in the forest since sunhigh and so far Ivypaw couldn't seem to master the hunter's crouch. The grass felt cool in the midday sun and she was getting impatient to learn.

Suddenly, her ears swiveled to where she heard the soft scuttle of a mouse in the underbrush. Narrowing her eyes, she stalked towards the noise and this time, she made sure to keep her belly to the ground as close as possible. She relaxed her tail and breathed gently, putting her full concentration into catching her prey. It was easier for her to stay hidden since her green pelt matched the color of the grass and leaves. Finally, she felt close enough to pounce. Pausing for a moment, she gathered all her strength and sprung from the leafy foliage and onto the unsuspecting mouse. As her teeth met flesh, she felt the satisfaction of a successful hunt for the first time. Exhilarated by her catch, she padded back to Goatfoot and dropped the mouse at his feet. Goatfoot met her gaze with proud eyes.

"Very good. We'll make a hunter out of you yet." Turning around, he began to dig a shallow hole. "We'll bury it here so that we can pick it up on our way back to camp. Now, let's meet up with the others."

Ivypaw suppressed a groan.

* * *

><p>When they finally made it back to the other apprentices and mentors, they were still practicing the hunter's crouch. It seemed as if none of them had mastered it yet.<p>

"Flowerpaw, this is hunting. You're going to have to get your pelt dirty sooner or later." Ivypaw felt a pang of sympathy for Flowerpaw's mentor, Robinsong. It wasn't her fault she had to mentor the most annoyingly whiny apprentice.

"But I spent so long grooming it…" Flowerpaw was clearly not making much progress as far as hunting went. Her thick golden tail was always sticking out and she refused to have her belly fur touch the ground.

"Flowerpaw, if you ever want to catch anything, you're going to have to crouch lower." Goatfoot put in.

Flowerpaw scowled at him, her tail flicking in annoyance.

"You're not even my mentor…" she grumbled under her breath. Ivypaw wouldn't stand for this. Flowerpaw had no right to talk to a warrior that way.

"You know, maybe Goatfoot's just trying to help you. The least you could do is act a little grateful." Ivypaw spat out grateful and a growl rumbled in her throat.

The rest of the cats looked on with shocked expressions on their faces. Goatfoot and Robinsong exchanged apologetic glances for the behavior of their apprentices.

"Well, maybe Flowerpaw doesn't want the advice of a _half-clan _cat!"

A stunned silence greeted the words. No one dared make a sound. Everyone turned to see who had spoken.

"Who said that?" Goatfoot's voice was surprisingly calm. Still, no one said a word.

He turned his head to look at the apprentices and mentors gathered around him.

"Very well. Let's get back to camp." The mentors hesitated, knowing that they hadn't finished their training for the day. Robinsong slowly took a few steps towards the white tom.

"Goatfoot—"

"Just go back. I'll be along soon."

Robinsong held his eyes for another heartbeat and then flicked her tail to the other cats to follow her back to the camp. Ivypaw watched them leave. When they were out of sight, she turned back to her mentor. Goatfoot sighed and hung his head in defeat. Ivypaw tried to think of something to say to fill the silence.

"That was absolutely uncalled for, you know."

Goatfoot turned to look at her. "Oh Ivypaw, don't worry about me. Shouldn't you be with your friends?"

"Oh, that's alright, I have no friends." Thinking for a moment, she continued, "Would you like to share my mouse?"

He hesitated. Ivypaw quickly remembered that the warrior code forbade eating before the Clan.

"Well, I mean, the Clan has already eaten so, technically…" Ivypaw drifted.

Goatfoot's stomach growled and he purred in amusement.

"I suppose we aren't harming anyone. I'll go fetch it."

A few heartbeats later he padded back towards her, the mouse tightly in his jaws. Without a word he bit down on the prey and quickly chewed and swallowed the meat. Ivypaw waited to be offered some, but Goatfoot seemed too hungry to think about sharing. She wasn't angry though, in fact, she wasn't hungry at the moment. When Goatfoot was finished, her wiped his muzzle clean.

"I just don't know who would say something like that." He mused, half to himself.

Ivypaw searched for the right words to say.

"You know, you shouldn't let ignorant statements like that get to you." She faltered, realizing what a hypocrite she was being for saying this. "I mean, I always do, but you shouldn't."

Goatfoot looked at her, his blue eyes meeting her dark ones.

"Ivypaw, if they were only a matter of words. But the things one hears these days!" his voice escalated as he continued. "Dreadful things."

"Like what?"

"Well, it's no secret the half-clan cats are being discriminated in all the Clans. They punish us for being born. We cannot chose our parents or which Clans they are born into. And now they think we are less loyal, simply because we come from two different Clans. I was born here in ThunderClan but my father was WindClan. Does that mean our Clanmates have the right to call me disloyal?"

Ivypaw of all cats understood what it was like to be blamed for something you could not control.

"Of course it's unfair. No one has the right to blame you for something like that."

"And it's not only mistrust. Ivypaw, cats have gone missing. Half-clan cats." He lowered his voice. "I've heard of a warrior from RiverClan, a senior warrior, who disappeared as soon as they learned his mother was from ShadowClan. And a ShadowClan warrior who's been missing who was also half-clan. I don't know anything for certain, but it is enough to give me reason to believe that something bad is happening in the Clans. Cat's don't just go missing."

Ivypaw could barely believe her ears.

"And have they tried to find the missing cats?"

Goatfoot shook his head sadly. "Not that I know of."

She felt a sudden burst of anger, knowing that no one had attempted to find them, not even their own Clanmates.

"But if something's happening to the half-clan cats, someone's got to tell Graystar. Isn't that why he's here? To help the Clans? If anyone can make this right, it's him."

"I hope you're right. We need all the help we can get."

A movement through the clearing captured both their attentions and they turned to see Whitefeather making her way towards the apprentice and mentor.

"Goatfoot, Robinsong told me what happened. I'm so sorry, and believe me, I'll get to the bottom of this. Whoever said that will be cleaning out the elder's den for moons."

"I'm fine, Whitefeather. You don't have to trouble yourself with my problems."

Whitefeather turned her attention to Ivypaw.

"Ivypaw, you're still here? I thought you'd be getting ready for our lessons."

"But I was just—"

Whitefeather cut into her speech halfway. "I hope I didn't misplace my trust in you. I expect you to put all your effort into developing your talents, especially if you dream of meeting Graystar himself. I'm sure Goatfoot see's my point?"

Turning to Goatfoot, the tom dipped his head in acknowledgement. Pleased, Whitefeather calmly turned around and headed off in the direction of the camp.

Ivypaw hesitated. "I'd better go." She began to follow the direction in which Whitefeather had left, but turned around to Goatfoot before she left the clearing.

"Don't worry, these terrible things can't happen, not here in the Clans."

And with that she disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

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><p><strong>AN: Up next is "Dancing Through Life". This one's going to be fun to write (:**

**Love it? Hate it? Let me know. Review please? :D**


	5. Firepaw

**Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while...and sorry for the short chapter, but I've been busy with final exams, vacation, and personal turbulence. And so, I haven't had much time to update. I hope to upload the next chapter soon. So without further delay, here it is:**

**(I do not own Wicked or Warriors)**

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><p>Ivypaw sulked solemnly through the brambles that led to the entrance of the camp. Her paws were heavy with the thoughts of the half-clan cats that had gone missing in recent moons. She felt anxious and fearful for the safety of her mentor, knowing full well of the danger he was in at this very moment.<p>

_Don't be silly, _she tried to tell herself, _I'm sure he'll be fine. What could possibly happen?_

Even though, she couldn't help a nagging feeling that itched like a burr on her pelt. She continued on the freshkill pile. Suddenly, she pricked her ears as she heard a loud commotion behind her. Instinctively, she sharply turned and was barely able to catch a glimpse of a blur of orange when she felt the wind knocked out of her and felt herself stumble to the ground, feeling the weight of another cat crash down upon her as well.

Dazed, she looked up to see a bright ginger tabby tom on top of her. When she saw those clear green eyes, she flattened her ears and let out a hiss as she batted the tom off of her.

_Great. It's Firepaw. _

"Don't you ever stop to watch where you're going?" she snapped.

Firepaw just looked at her with playful eyes and a cheeky smile. Padding up beside him was Adderpaw.

_Now there are two mouse-brains._

"Great race, Firepaw!" Adderpaw's flanks heaved from his run.

"Don't worry Adderpaw, I'm sure one of these days you'll beat me." Firepaw purred and flicked his friend's shoulder.

"Excuse me? Your little race just caused me to be run over against my will." Ivypaw narrowed her eyes at Firepaw.

He clearly chose to ignore the challenge in her gaze as he simply mewed,

"Well, I saw green and thought you were just part of the scenery."

She just rolled her eyes and began to head towards the freshkill pile again, aware of the amused purrs of the two toms she had left behind.

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><p>"Flowerpaw!"<p>

Flowerpaw, who had been taken advantage of their free time to groom her now messy fur, paused mid-lick and looked up to see a flustered apprentice racing towards her. _What was his name again? Barkpaw? Birchpaw? _The thing that mattered is that she recognized his light brown pelt. Her heart sank. She had absolutely no romantic interest in the tom, but he seemed determined to win her over.

The tom had finally caught up to her. He breathed heavily and she realized running must be difficult for him because of his unusually short legs. She felt a small pang of sympathy.

"Flowerpaw, I know that I'm, well, um, shorter than most toms," he nervously shuffled his paws. Flowerpaw looked him over and realized that she stood at least half a mouse tail taller than him. "But," he went on, "even a cat like me has feelings, and I've been trying to tell you mine for you, but sometimes I feel like you don't even know I exist."

"That's not true, Birchpaw." Flowerpaw replied kindly.

"Umm…" He never got a chance to reply because just then, Flowerpaw gasped as she recognized the ginger tabby talking to Ebonypaw and Hazelpaw.

"Great StarClan!" She flicked the tom with her tail and pointed in their direction. "Do you know who that is?"

"You touched me…" the tom seemed to be in a daze of happiness. Flowerpaw ignored him and went on.

"That's Firepaw! The most handsome tom in ThunderClan! Maybe even_ all _the clans!" she mewed. "And his reputation is so scandalous, I've heard he's broken the warrior code _twenty times!_"

"Well, breaking the warrior code is nothing to be proud of." Sniffed the tom.

But Flowerpaw wasn't listening. Instead she was bouncing with excitement because just then, Firepaw began to make his way towards them, leaving behind him the distraught and bewildered faces of Ebonypaw and Hazelpaw. He smiled as he sat down right in front of the undersized tom who could do nothing but peer over his shoulder.

"Were you looking for something," she swished her feathery golden tail from side to side, "Or someone?" she purred and gave Firepaw her best smile.

"Well, I was wondering if Whitefeather was still here in camp? I need to find out where my den is."

From over his shoulder, the brown tom mewed "I saw her-"

"She just left on a hunting patrol." Flowerpaw broke in.

"Perfect timing." Firepaw purred. "So, what kind of stuff have I missed?"

"Well, we—"

"We've been out hunting with our mentors." The tom quickly answered.

Firepaw turned around and saw the small tom behind him.

"Well Berrypaw, it looks like it's up to me to introduce you guys to fun." Firepaw mewed. By now, other apprentices had pricked their ears and were starting to gather around the three of them.

_Berrypaw. So that's his name. _Flowerpaw tried to commit it to memory.

Firepaw turned to look at all the other apprentices gathered around him. "You see, mentors are always trying to teach you the wrong lessons…"

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><p><strong>Once again, I'm sorry it's so short...but I'll try to get the next chapter uploaded soon.<strong>

**Until then...review? :3**


	6. A Night to Remember

**Yay, an update! *throwns confetti***

**Ya...it's been a while..but life's been pretty busy...**

**So anyways, this is basically the first half of "Dancing through Life" Since it's a pretty long scene, I'm gonna break it into two. The next should feature "Popular", which is going to be very interesting to write xD **

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Wicked or Warriors.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"So none of the apprentices can go to the Gathering tonight?"<p>

"No, they think only the senior warriors should go since this meeting is too 'important'."

Firepaw flicked his tail and looked thoughtful for a moment as Flowerpaw watching intently. By now, most of the apprentices had gathered around as well. Then, his face lit up in realization and he sprang atop a nearby rock.

"I've got it! When everyone else is at that Gathering, lets sneak out!"

The suggestion was met with enthusiastic approval, but no one seemed as excited as Flowerpaw. Firepaw flicked his ear towards her and asked,

"Say, where's the best place to go? Any suggestions?"

She tipped her head thoughtfully and soon replied,

"Oh! How about that abandoned tunnel? You know, the one that warrior Lion-something or other? It's underground, secluded, and no one will ever know!"

"Sounds great!"

"Perfect!"

"This is going to be great!"

Flowerpaw purred in response to the support the rest of the apprentices were giving her.

"Then it's settled." Firepaw nodded in agreement.

"Um….Flowerpaw?"

She turned around to see who had called for her and felt her heart sink when she realized it was Berrypaw. She stifled a groan. It was obvious the tom was infatuated with her, but she could never be expected to return the feelings he had for her. His pelt was dusty and scruffy and a boring shade of brown tabby. His eyes were round and blue, but looked too much like a kits. And of course, there was the issue of height.

"Yes Berrypaw?" At the same time, she couldn't ignore him.

"I was wondering…if…um…I could accompany you tonight?" His eyes were pleading.

"Oh Berrypaw, that's so sweet, but…" She looked around desperately for a distraction. Anything to get her away from this awkward situation without making herself look bad. Finally, her eyes landed on Nightpaw, Ivypaw's littermate. The poor apprentice had a bad leg and was often ostracized by others because of it. Flowerpaw knew she was looking on desperately if anyone would invite her to their secret party tonight. Then, and idea formed in her head. "You see Nighpaw over there? The tortoiseshell she-cat?"

Berrypaw nodded.

"I'm sure she'd love someone to invite her too. She's always left behind because of her bad leg. I just wish _someone_," She put a heavy emphasize on the word, "would invite her. They'd be my hero." Berrypaw immediately brightened.

"Maybe I can invite her?"

"Oh Birchpaw, really? For me?" She batted her eyelashes for extra effect.

He puffed out his chest and stood up straight.

"For you, Flowerpaw, I'd do anything." And with that, he padded towards Nightpaw. Flowerpaw sighed in relief after he left.

Firepaw leapt off the rock to land in front of her. She felt her heart race, realizing how close he was. Even though they had been barely made apprentices, she could see traces of muscles under his ginger coat. The mere sight of him made her heart swoon. He leaned in closer,

"See you there?" He asked.

"Of course!" She purred. _This is going to be wonderful!_

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><p>"This is going to be <em>wonderful.<em>" Ivypaw mewed sarcastically and rolled her eyes. She was pacing back and forth behind the warriors den. "Every apprentice is just going to sneak out of camp for some absurd social gathering. Well, at least we have better judgment to stay where we're told."

"Actually Ivypaw…" Nightpaw kneaded the ground with her paws and looked down. "I'm going too."

Ivypaw couldn't keep the shock out of her face when she turned to face her sister.

"You mean you're actually going?"

Nightpaw purred and straightened up to meet her sister's bewildered gaze.

"Isn't it wonderful? Finally, I'm going to be just like a normal apprentice. Berrypaw invited me! He told me that at first he was too shy, but once Flowerpaw encouraged him—"

"Flowerpaw?" Ivypaw cut in with disbelief. Nightpaw glared back.

"Look, I don't care if you too don't get along. She did a very nice thing for me, and I wish I could give her something in return." She touched her tail to Ivypaw's shoulder. "Please, just try to understand."

Ivypaw sighed.

"I do…"

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><p>"This is going to be the greatest night of my life!"<p>

Flowerpaw squealed and bounced eagerly around her friends. Hazelpaw and Briarpaw were already settled down and swiftly swiped their paws over their ears to groom themselves.

_I have to look my best for Firepaw!_

And with that, she settled to clean her fluffy, golden tail, paying great attention to making it soft and smooth.

"Ah! Flowerpaw? What's this?" Hazelpaw lifted a single piece of black two-leg cloth on her tail. Flowerpaw quickly took the material with her tail and gave a quick sniff. Her face twisted with disgust.

"Must be some two-leg thing." Experimentally, she draped it over her neck and gave a short purr of laughter of how ridiculous it looked.

"Imagine someone coming tonight, with this around their neck? If only there was someone I hated that much. Poor thing would be embarrassed to death."

Briarpaw and Hazelpaw exchanged an excited glance and Briarpaw reasoned,

"But there is someone you hate that much! Ivypaw!"

Flowerpaw took this idea in, tipping her head to one side in thought. She could picture Ivypaw, making her way into the cavern with a silly piece of two-leg trash around her neck. Her eyes narrowed as she realized how hilarious the whole thing would be. But before she could reply, her ears caught the sound of pawsteps walking towards the three apprentices.

Believing it was Whitefeather, Briarpaw and Hazelpaw dashed off to busy themselves with cleaning out the moss. Flowerpaw was about to follow them when she heard her name.

"Flowerpaw?" Her pelt prickled as she recognized Ivypaw's voice. Turing around, she saw the green tabby facing her, one paw absentmindedly plucking at the grass. Quickly, she realized this was her chance.

"Listen, me and Nightpaw were talking about you just know and—"

"And I was just talking about you!" She diverged the conversation to her favor. "I thought you'd might want to put this on for the 'gathering' tonight!"

Before she could protest, Flowerpaw was already wrapping the black cloth around her neck. Ivypaw just stated at it in confusion.

"Whats—"

"Oh, it looks wonderful!" Inwardly, she was stifling laughter from how ridiculous she looked. "You deserve each other!"

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><p>The full moon was high in the sky hanging over ThunderClan camp. The whole Clan was asleep and peacefully resting in their dens. That is, except for the apprentices. They were wide awake and like shadows, silently crept through the camp and through the bramble thicket until they were outside in the cool nighttime air of the forest. Firepaw, taking the role of leader in the situation, led the group towards the tunnels. Pelts of ginger, white, brown, black, and gray could be seen through the dense undergrowth. Finally, they reached the entrance and each cat quietly slipped inside.<p>

Once they were all inside, they seemed to melt from the icy threat of being caught and began to purr and talk with one another freely. The walls were smooth and small cliffs and ledges jutted out from them. A slow moving river snaked its way through the cave and already the apprentices were play-fighting, pawing each other with splashes of water, or sharing tongues while perched on the ledges. As the other cats enjoyed themselves, two were left awkwardly out of the group. Berrypaw looked on longingly at Flowerpaw as she talked with Firepaw and Nightpaw let her gaze drift anywhere while she shuffled her paws nervously.

Berrypaw sighed. He couldn't lie to Nightpaw like this. _I'll just tell her the truth, that I'm really in love with Flowerpaw…not her._

"Listen, Nightpaw?"

She jerked to face him, a desperate hope in her eyes.

"Yes, Berrypaw?"

He flinched as he continued, "I have something to confess…there's a reason why I invited you here tonight and –"

"Oh, Berrypaw, I know why." She lowered her gaze to the floor.

"You do?"

"It's because I have a bad leg, so you felt sorry for me." She raised her eyes to face him. "Well, isn't that right?"

Overcome by guilt and sympathy for the poor she-cat, he could not bring himself to cause her anymore pain. He swallowed back the truth for favor of a lie. At least the lie wouldn't hurt her.

"No, it's because…because…" He stole one last look at Flowerpaw before continuing, "Because you're so beautiful." He tried to picture he was saying these words to Flowerpaw instead of the tortoiseshell apprentice who stood before him now. Her eyes lit with happiness and a purr rumbled in her throat.

"Oh, Berrypaw, you're wonderful!" She pressed her face against his shoulder as he felt a wave of guilt. "We deserve each other." She whispered softly.

But all her could do was look on wistfully at the beautiful she-cat who would never be his.

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><p>"I should go."<p>

Ivypaw paced forward.

"No, I shouldn't."

She paced backwards.

Suddenly, a paw landed on the piece of two-leg cloth Flowerpaw had given her. She hesitated, and then she carefully fit it around her neck with her tail and sighed.

She knew what she had to do.

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><p>"I'm going to go out for some fresh air."<p>

Flowerpaw had been enjoying herself, surrounded by her friends and of course Firepaw, but the

underground air was becoming too much for her. She quickly excused herself and exited the tunnel. Outside, the night had become warmer and she knew the Gathering would be over soon. She padded on a ways mindlessly, taking in the still night. As she passed a brush, she could hear a faint rustling and she felt her heart leap out of her chest. She turned around and in horror she watched as Whitefeather approached her from the brush.

"Flowerpaw? What are you doing here?" She sounded extremely confused to see her here.

"Oh, I must have wandered off…I was on my way to..um..the dirtplace." She beamed as convincingly as she could and prayed it would be enough.

"Oh. I see. I was actually just keeping guard while Daisystem was making dirt." She cocked her head thoughtfully and continued, "I should also tell you that I have some important news for you."

"Important news?" She pawed the dirt nervously.

"Yes. You see, your denmate insisted that I allow you to learn some extra battle skills in the training sessions I'll be giving you two privately."

"Wait..you mean Ivypaw suggested this?" She wondered if her disbelief could be seen on her face.

Whitefeather sighed. "Yes, she insisted that if I didn't tutor you as well, she wouldn't take any lessons at all."

For the first time, Flowerpaw felt a pang of guit begin to stir. This was the same cat whom she had purposely tried to make a fool of and teased.

"Thank you Whitefeather, I won't let you down." She promised.

"My personal opinion is that you don't have what it takes. I hope you prove me wrong." With a flick of her tail, she turned away and headed back towards the Gathering. "I doubt you will."

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><p><strong>AN: So I had a really rough time coming up with a replacement for Elphaba's hat...the black cloth is really like a bandanna-sort of thing.<strong>

**Leave a review if you like it so far! Thanks!  
><strong>


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